Got a New HomePod? Here's Everything You Need to Know

[MacRumors]

Have you picked up a new HomePod? Perhaps it's your first. Then it might surprise you that Apple doesn't include an extensive manual in the box. That's why we've compiled this list of how-to articles to help you make the most of your new smart speaker.

Below, you'll find help on how to set up your new HomePod and master the basic controls, as well as how to get the best out of the many audio functions. We've also covered some of the more advanced features that Apple's latest speaker is capable of. Click the links to learn more, and be sure to bookmark this post.

Get to Know the Basics

• How to Set Up Your New HomePod
• How to Use the HomePod's Physical Controls
• How to Access Your HomePod's Settings
• How to Create and Manage Calendar Events on HomePod
• How To Make Notes and Reminders With Siri on HomePod
• How to Set and Manage HomePod Timers
• How to Create Alarms on Your HomePod
• How to Disable Personal Requests on HomePod
• How to Turn Off Location Services on HomePod

Controlling Audio Functions

• How to Change Audio Volume on HomePod
• How to Keep HomePod Volume Level Consistent for Music and Podcasts
• How to Disable Playback of Explicit Content on HomePod
• How to Use Your HomePod as a Speakerphone
• How to Play Ambient Sounds on HomePod
• How To Play and Control Podcasts on HomePod With Siri
• How to Ask Siri on HomePod to Play Apple Music Playlists, Genres, Moods, and More
• How to Use Your HomePod as a Speaker for Your Apple TV
• How to Create a HomePod Stereo Pair
• How to Stream Audio From Your TV's Inputs to HomePod via Apple TV (eARC)
• How to Enable Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio and Apple Lossless on HomePod
• How to Prevent Others' HomePod Requests From Skewing Your Apple Music Recommendations
• How to Use Two HomePods With a Mac for Stereo Audio Output
• How to Set Up Home Theater Audio with HomePod and Apple TV 4K

Using Other HomePod Features

• How to Set Up HomePod Multi-User Voice Recognition
• How to Assign Primary Users to Individual HomePods in the Same Household
• How to Find Family, Friends, and Items With Your HomePod
• How to Use Ambient Sounds in HomePod Automations
• How to Use Ambient Sounds in HomePod Alarms
• How to Use HomePod Ambient Sounds in Scenes
• How to Create Recurring Automations on HomePod Using Your Voice
• How to Use the Temperature and Humidity Sensors on HomePod
• How to Set Up Temperature and Humidity Automations on HomePod
• How to Delete Siri Audio History and Opt Out of Siri Audio Sharing on HomePod
• How to Install HomePod Public Beta Software

How are you getting on with your new HomePod? Are there any other functions missing in our list that you'd like help with? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Got a New HomePod? Here's Everything You Need to Know

 

[Aluminum213]

Siri is still terrible, that’s what you need to know

 

[JWD]

Yes Siri is a joke, iOS 16-16.3 has been full of glitches that make me upset BUT my 2x stereo OG HomePods sound amazing compared to my older Bose soundbar with woofer.

 

[SBlue1]

How to speak out loud if the temperature or humidity reaches a certain point?
How to stop the music when I turn on the Apple TV?
How to adjust the mids or boost the highs?
How to lower the bass after 10pm?
How to set the EQ?
How to balance the stereo?

 

[Duncan-UK]

one very frustrating thing about the original was the time it took to “recognise” my iTunes Match playlists. I bought it early in the morning on release day and it wasn’t until the next day that it played back my playlists. It just kept saying “that song isn’t in your library“ etc

also new users need to be very particular with the request to ensure they get the correct version of a song. Many’s the time I’ve asked for a song and received the live version instead…

 

[sdugoten]

For those who just bought these new Homepod, I can tell you it's a nightmare to set them in stereo pair mode. You will have to choose one of the two homepods to be the main one on responding to your command. Only one of the two homepods will reply you. Let say you set homepod A to be the main one, homepod B will not respond to your command even if you sit right next to homepod B.

In order to set the correct homepod as the one that reply to your command, you will have to choose the correct homepod in Home app, and then create stereo pair from this homepod. If you click on the wrong one and create the pair, the wrong one will become the one replying to your command.

For some odd reason, the first time when I setup the stereo pair mode, both speakers sound is very very low. When I play some music, you can barely hear anything from both of the speaker even I crank the volume all the way to top. So, I remove the pair and do it again. The 2nd time one of the speakers is very load while the other one is almost no sound. Remove the pair again, restart both the homdpods, and then create the stereo pair the 3rd time. Still no joy, one of the speaker volume is very low.

Reboot the 4th time, test each of the speakers sound correctly. And then pair once again and I finally get it to work.


The stereo pairing is freaking buggy. I am a bit scared that it will have the same issue again if I reboot either one of the homepod for whatever reason in the future....

 

[Stevez67]

If they're setup in stereo pair mode they're within ear-shot of each other or there would be no reason to pair them. So what difference does it make which HomePod responds to your question? Just wondering.

 

[alexandrebagatin]

Hey guys, I'm new here. I'd like to have the best possible configuration of Sonos + HomePod in my room. Currently own a HomePod mini, a Sonos Five and a Sonos One. I really love to play them on simultaneously. What is the best way to do so? Like, sometimes I experience some delays. I'd appreciate some help!

 

[mrr]

Apple doesn’t really include instruction manuals for anything anymore.

 

[gk_brown]

If they're setup in stereo pair mode they're within ear-shot of each other or there would be no reason to pair them. So what difference does it make which HomePod responds to your question? Just wondering.

True. It would be odd if both responded.

 

[sdugoten]

If they're setup in stereo pair mode they're within ear-shot of each other or there would be no reason to pair them. So what difference does it make which HomePod responds to your question? Just wondering.

It does matter because the stereo pair setup is one in the corner in living room and the other is in the middle of the living room.

I tend to use the one in the middle because most of the time I am around the homepod in the middle. If you try to hey siri and you are far from the corner homepod, it can't hear you if I am in the middle of the living room.

Note: My living room is in long narrow shape....


even if you put the speaker side by side, you will still run into problem of having super low volume on one of the speakers while the other one is super loud. I have no clue why it does that.

 

[currentinterest]

Two new HomePods arrive today and will be joining the three I already have (and two minis) at this location. I have never had a problem setting up stereo pairs, or configuring a HomePod. We use Siri extensively and find it fun and easy to use. Most of my appliances are controlled through Siri and I use it for information, keeping my calendar, reminders, and so forth, I was greatly disappointed when Apple discontinued the original generation, but I am a happy person now.

 

[QandnotU]

It does matter because the stereo pair setup is one in the corner in living room and the other is in the middle of the living room.

I tend to use the one in the middle because most of the time I am around the homepod in the middle. If you try to hey siri and you are far from the corner homepod, it can't hear you if I am in the middle of the living room.

Note: My living room is in long narrow shape....


even if you put the speaker side by side, you will still run into problem of having super low volume on one of the speakers while the other one is super loud. I have no clue why it does that.

You're doing stereo wrong, your speakers should be side to side with the distance between them being no more than 8 feet. I don't have an issue with low volume on one speaker vs the other, nor have I ever heard of this being a common issue with stereo paired HomePods. That sounds like an isolated issue you're experiencing.

 

[citysnaps]

Two new HomePods arrive today and will be joining the three I already have (and two minis) at this location. I have never had a problem setting up stereo pairs, or configuring a HomePod. We use Siri extensively and find it fun and easy to use. Most of my appliances are controlled through Siri and I use it for information, keeping my calendar, reminders, and so forth, I was greatly disappointed when Apple discontinued the original generation, but I am a happy person now.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you like them; particularly sound quality compared to your original HomePods.

 

[ipedro]

For those who just bought these new Homepod, I can tell you it's a nightmare to set them in stereo pair mode.

Yeah... that was just you. I've set up stereo pairs without issue. It's straightforward. I currently have a pair of OGs in my living room and singles scattered around my home. In the stereo pair, both can listen to you, though just one lights up. To get the other to be the one that responds, simply touch and hold it and say: "answer me here" or something similar to that effect. Going forward, that HomePod is the one that lights up.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗]

Nice!!! HomePod - Assembled in Vietnam 🇻🇳

 

[csalm87]

For those who just bought these new Homepod, I can tell you it's a nightmare to set them in stereo pair mode. You will have to choose one of the two homepods to be the main one on responding to your command. Only one of the two homepods will reply you. Let say you set homepod A to be the main one, homepod B will not respond to your command even if you sit right next to homepod B.

In order to set the correct homepod as the one that reply to your command, you will have to choose the correct homepod in Home app, and then create stereo pair from this homepod. If you click on the wrong one and create the pair, the wrong one will become the one replying to your command.

For some odd reason, the first time when I setup the stereo pair mode, both speakers sound is very very low. When I play some music, you can barely hear anything from both of the speaker even I crank the volume all the way to top. So, I remove the pair and do it again. The 2nd time one of the speakers is very load while the other one is almost no sound. Remove the pair again, restart both the homdpods, and then create the stereo pair the 3rd time. Still no joy, one of the speaker volume is very low.

Reboot the 4th time, test each of the speakers sound correctly. And then pair once again and I finally get it to work.


The stereo pairing is freaking buggy. I am a bit scared that it will have the same issue again if I reboot either one of the homepod for whatever reason in the future....

I just set mine up and did't have a single issue. I'm sorry you did.

In regard to the speaker that responds to commands, it's very easy to change. All you have to do is press and hold on the top of the speaker until it glows to set it as the main one.

 

[ipedro]

It does matter because the stereo pair setup is one in the corner in living room and the other is in the middle of the living room.

It looks like what you want isn't a stereo pair but a multi speaker setup. Stereo speakers, HomePod or not, should be in a position that forms a triangle from one to the other and the position of the listener central to both.

If one speaker is far off in a corner and the other is closer to one ear than the other speaker is to the other ear, you won't get a stereo effect. You can have both speakers play music in your living room as a multi-speaker setup that isn't necessarily stereo. It'll still sound great, and depending on your living room layout, probably better this way.

 

[Ion-X]

Siri is so unreliable it’s sad. It constantly gives me the wrong music when I’m speaking clearly in the direction of my HomePods.

That being said, the bass, clarity, and 360° room-filling sound of my HomePod Stereo Pair is phenomenal, so I still use them.

 

[Ion-X]

Nice!!! HomePod - Assembled in Vietnam 🇻🇳

View attachment 2152971

Very exciting. It’s important to lessen reliance on a single country as a supplier. In case of geopolitical conflict we don’t want to be cut off from all our supply chains.

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

It won’t be long. Everyone will license chatGPT as their assistant. Or Apple will buy them outright. Pissing on MS’s efforts. Google is terrified, but they’re trying to develop their own. The problem is. History has shown being second in new successful innovation doesn’t bode well.

 

[ipedro]

It won’t be long. Everyone will license chatGPT as their assistant. Or Apple will buy them outright. Pissing on MS’s efforts. Google is terrified, but they’re trying to develop their own. The problem is. History has shown being second in new successful innovation doesn’t bode well.

If chatGPT could be outright acquired, Microsoft would have done so. Given the size of their investment stake, Microsoft already effectively owns chatGPT. It's too late for Google or Apple to acquire them. That said, most of the value of chatGPT are the lessons learned when it was deployed. Those are public knowledge and will open the floodgates for other similar systems to come out on the shoulders of the risks chatGPT took. Google was taking it slow to mitigate risks but it looks like they're throwing caution to the wind and opening the taps. For Apple's sake, I seriously hope that they have a new generation Siri in their labs. No major company will survive without a fully conversational AI by the end of the decade or sooner.

 

[citysnaps]

Siri is so unreliable it’s sad. It constantly gives me the wrong music when I’m speaking clearly in the direction of my HomePods.

That being said, the bass, clarity, and 360° room-filling sound of my HomePod Stereo Pair is phenomenal, so I still use them.

And yet mine work extremely well queuing up music.

 

[MrRom92]

I got another 2 HomePod minis. And Siri sucks just as much as she does on the first one!!

 

[Tozovac]

I'm looking forward to hearing how you like them; particularly sound quality compared to your original HomePods.

Ditto. Please post.